


The Very Thoughtful Christmas Present

by viceroyvonmutini



Series: LadiesofPOI-Kara Stanton (B) [3]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, bad language, dont do drugs kids, people do drugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3813787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viceroyvonmutini/pseuds/viceroyvonmutini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Root is a bad influence, Martine isn't helping, and Kara might regret this later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Very Thoughtful Christmas Present

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: winter.
> 
> This started as a joke: what if Kara was high? What if Root dealt weed? What if Root dealt Kara weed? And then I wrote a quick fic. Then I fleshed it out. And then I thought: sure just post this utter nonsense for the world to see.
> 
> This is my not serious contribution to a serious artistic venture. I am so so sorry. This is ridiculous.
> 
> College AU setting.

'Root. Why am I here?'

'It's Christmas Kara. And as it's Christmas, it is the time for presents. And I am here to give you yours!' Her tone was happy. Ridiculously chipper and not at all appropriate for 7am in the morning. 

Kara had received a text not half an hour earlier, something urgent from Martine that she needed to attend to. So of course she came because she owed Martine a few favours and they'd known each other a while and even Kara was willing to admit that okay yes they might be friends.

'Where's Martine?'

'Here!' yelled the blonde-haired woman, leaping out from behind a nearby doorway as a toilet flushed behind her, 'you came! Brilliant.'

Root walked into her small kitchen area and Kara followed cautiously at the insistence of an enthusiastic Martine.

'Are you telling me you called me out here for...presents?' 

If Root noticed the vague threat of retribution underlying the words she chose to ignore it completely.

'Not just any present. Singlehandedly the  _best_ present you will receive this year,' declared Root triumphantly, head buried in her fridge.

She spun round with a flourish having located the item she was looking for, and placed them down on the table before Kara.

'Brownies?'

Root nodded vigourously. Martine sidled up behind Kara and poked her. Kara turned.

'Eat one. I had two. They're really  _really_ good.'

Kara frowned.

'Root. What's in these brownies?'

Root shrugged.

'Martine...what did you eat?'

'Just _eat one._ Trust me.'

 

* * *

 

‘This is probably the worst idea I’ve ever had.’

‘Including or excluding that time you fucked John?’

Kara paused for thought.

‘Including. This is bad. On a scale of like 1 to bad we’re at the bad end Martine.’

‘Shhhhh. No one will know. We’re fine.’

‘No we’re not fine okay I’ve failed like…3 exams in my life I do not want a fourth.’

‘That’s a fucking lie you’ve failed at least 6.’

‘Doesn’t matter. No more Martine no more.’

Kara shook her head dramatically, emphasizing her point.

The two trudged through the dirty slush coating the pavement, wrapped in woolen scarves and thick gloves against the cold. Martine shoved her gloved hands into the pockets of her long black coat, glancing up at Kara who was chewing her lip nervously.

‘Calm down seriously.’

‘It’s alright for you Martine you didn’t have an exam today.’

‘Well you should have thought of that shouldn’t you?’

‘I’m going to kill Root,’ she threatened. 

‘Mmmhm. Yeah kill Root for something you did.’

‘It was her idea’

‘And she started it’ mocked Martine, ‘it’s your fault K. You accepted her very thoughtful 'Christmas present.'’

'It was nice of her wasn't it?'

'Mmm.'

‘I’m cold,’ moaned Kara.

‘It’s snowing.’

The two stopped and looked up at the sky as light flakes hit their exposed skin, liquefying as they melted in their warmth.

‘Cool.’

They stood unmoving in the middle of the busy pathway for what seemed like minutes. Kara twirled slightly, sticking her tongue out to catch flakes as her arms reached out to the side balancing her precarious spinning.

She looked like a ballerina, she mused.

Her hand hit a body and she stopped spinning, pausing slightly to regain her bearings before acknowledging the source of her interruption. Her brow furrowed.

‘Carter?’

Martine’s head slowly tilted down, eyes focusing on Carter’s intense gaze. Her face slowly broke out into a grin.

‘Joss! Why’re you here?’

Carter locked their arms in a vice grip and dragged them off the path and across the grass.

‘Hey whoa calm down.’

The two stumbled behind, not resisting the grip just a bit curious as to where they were going. Kara figured it was nowhere good: if Joss had worked out their current...state...which she most likely had, then all they could do was pray: even Kara couldn't will her fist to punch in her current haze. Kara glanced over at her partner in crime.

‘The snow is cold,’ moaned Martine as they ploughed through the layer of white that covered the grassy garden, drifts of the icy substance finding their way into her sneakers as her limp body tripped over itself. 

There was no way Martine could provide protection. They would simply have to submit and blame it all on Root. Because it was her fault. Technically.

‘Come the fuck on,’ ordered Carter, woman on a mission her voice uncompromising.

They stopped near a big tree, one the group often met under, and Carter released their arms. The two gingerly rubbed their now slightly throbbing biceps.

‘You have one hell of a grip Joss,’ complimented Kara. Flattery got you everywhere, she reasoned.

They headed closer to the large oak that shadowed them and as they did so Root, John and Finch emerged from behind the trunk.

Root skipped to meet them halfway, grin wide.

‘Hey guys!’

‘You. Shut up,’ Carter ordered, voice firm.

Root clamped her mouth shut, hanging her head in shame. Kara and Martine snickered.

‘Don’t.’

They too silenced themselves, looking down at the suddenly fascinating snow.

‘Stay here. All of you.’

Carter strode over to John and Finch who remained by the tree. Root was slowly spinning in a tight circle, eyes down on the snow chin pressed against her chest.  

‘It’s so pretty isn’t it?’ she mumbled.

‘If it were sunny it would glitter like dust.’

‘Like Edward Cullen,' nodded Martine thoughtfully.

‘You’ve read Twilight?’

Root giggled at Martine’s perhaps in-adverted confession.

‘It’s a decent book!’

‘It most certainly isn’t! For one, he sparkles, two he’s very creepy and overbearing, third the werewolf imprints on a child. She’s like 2 when he imprints I mean what even is that? Just because he can’t have sex with Bella I mean there should be child protection laws against that shit and no one even questions it. Plus, what kind of a name is fucking Renesmee?’

Kara looked insistently at her small audience eyes fierce.

Martine and Root shared a look.

‘Sorry, did you say you’d read Twilight?’ teased Root.

Kara frowned.

‘Shut up.’

‘The great Kara Stanton: sucker for vampire romance,’ joined Martine, both of them smirking like idiots.

‘Shut up.’

Kara glared at them but it did nothing to stop their snickers. She bent down and picked up a handful of snow, not bothering to mold it into shape as she chucked it at the unsuspecting women.

Both stood frozen in shock at the absolute audacity of Kara’s action.

Kara herself was fleeing the scene cackling all the while. Martine immediately spurred into action, chasing after her.

‘Get the fuck back here Kara how fucking dare you!’

Kara’s distant cackling haunted her thoughts as she slowly chased down the woman who was heading straight for the giant oak. Root wasn’t being much help, watching calmly as the two- in her humble opinion-idiots ran straight towards the group of mature adults.

She watched as Kara was swiftly caught on the arm by Carter stopping her in her tracks, whilst Martine barreled straight into John’s chest, struggling slightly against his strong embrace.

Root hopped over to join them, stopping beside Harold.

‘Hey Harrryyy,’ she sung.

Finch shook his head slightly.

John and Carter brought over the two somewhat pacified women, though Martine cast daggers at Kara.

‘Stop hugging me John if you wanted to get close you just had to ask.’

John let go, eying Martine warily.

‘Root,’ began Carter tone unforgiving, ‘what the actual fuck?’

Root shrugged.

‘Why did you do this?’

‘They wanted to!’

‘That does not mean you say yes oh my God! You idiot!’

‘They said it was okay!’ argued Root, pouting.

‘She had an exam today!’

Carter gestured towards Kara who nodded ferociously. Root pretended to think for a moment.

‘Oops?’

‘Oops? Oops? That’s all you have to say?’

‘This is quite serious,’ interjected Harold sternly.

‘I do it all the time Harry and I’m fine.’

‘Yes but you’re…you!’

‘So? They said yes! Look its nothing. We only had like…2? 1 and a half. Definitely 1 and a half.’

‘Oh my god.’ Carter looked at Finch in desperation.

‘It’s winter break tomorrow. What’s the worst that could have happened?’

‘She could’ve had an exam?’

‘Kara,’ began Root, walking over to Kara and placing two hands on her shoulders with a slight thud and looking intense, ‘did you or did you not consent to the hash brownie consumption this morning?’

She nodded.

‘Did you or did you not know you had an exam today?’

‘Well I mean I fo-‘

‘Nu-uh. Yes or no only please.’

‘Yes.’

Root spun round looking earnestly at the frowning self-titled adults of the group.

‘See! She agreed!’

‘That is not the point Root,’ gritted out Carter.

Root frowned.

‘Then what is?’

‘Oh sweet Mary,’ sighed Carter.

‘Root you can’t go around high all day,’ interrupted John’s calm voice, saving Carter from further infuriating conversation, ‘and you shouldn’t encourage everyone else.’

‘They said yes,’ pouted Root.

‘Please just…don’t do it again?’ asked Finch in exasperation.

Root pouted and looked down sad but nodded slowly.

Kara felt she looked distinctly like a kicked puppy.

So maybe it wasn't all Root's fault. Like 83% the fault of Root. 64% even. 

‘There there Rootbear,’ she sung, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder, ‘we still love you don’t we Martine?’

Martine nodded furiously.

‘Yep.’

‘See?’

Root turned around, big toothy grin shining on her face.

‘For reals?’

‘Yep.’

Root launched herself at Kara and Kara softened into the bear hug, the two squeezing the air out of each other’s lungs.

'Merry Christmas Kara!'

Not Root's fault at all.

‘Root.’

Root stiffened. She slowly spun her head to the source of the voice, looking sheepish.

‘What. Are you doing?’

‘Uh…hugging?’

Her voice was slightly higher in pitch and remarkably tentative.

Shaw’s glare didn’t let up and Root squirmed under its intensity.

‘Listen, Sameen, I…can explain?’

‘Come here. Now.’

Root didn’t respond, frozen in place.

‘Now.’

‘No.’

‘Root.’

‘Nope!’

Root shot out of Kara’s stunned grasp and sprinted across the grass as fast as her long legs would carry her. Martine was gasping for air as she curled into down into the snow, laughter wracking her body.

John looked on, eyebrow raised.

‘Hello Shaw.’

‘John.’

Kara dropped her arms and dared to look at Shaw.

‘Hey Shaw!’ she tried cheerfully.

Shaw glared and Kara’s face fell.

‘What. Happened.’

‘Uh…nothing?’

‘Stanton I will rip your hair out strand by strand.’

100% Root's fault.

‘Uh…Root…happened?’

‘What. Happened.’

‘Martine?’

‘You’re on your own Kara. I’m kinda hungry; gonna go buy some Cheetos and salsa dip. And Doritos. Maybe like a Krispee Kreme.’

Martine pulled herself up slowly.

Traitor. Martine would pay, vowed Kara. But later. 

‘John go with her please,’ sighed Finch. John nodded and did as instructed, gently guiding a mellowed out Martine.

Shaw’s gaze remained fixed on Kara whose eyes were wide. Her hand was well and truly caught in the cookie jar.

‘Carter,’ gritted out Shaw.

‘Root gave them hash brownies this morning.’

Shaw’s gaze snapped to Carter.

‘What?’

Carter shrugged.

Shaw clenched her fists.

‘I’m going to fucking end her.’

‘If by end her you mean fuck her like usual them go get some tiger!’ chirped Kara cheerfully.

Unfortunately by the time she had realized her mistake Shaw’s focus was already back upon her form.

‘Look…Shaw…’

‘Finch?’

‘Yes?’

‘Leave. Now.’

‘I don’t think that’s-‘

‘Fine,’ she bit out, ‘Kara get the fuck over here now.’

Kara hesitated but did as instructed.

‘What are you going to do with me?’ she squeaked out.

‘You’re going to take me to Root.’

‘I don’t know where she is!’

‘Then you lure her out or this snow suddenly finds itself down your throat,’ she growled and Kara visibly swallowed.

‘Look Shaw…I’m high okay I can’t help it. I didn’t mean to overstep the mark with her or tou-‘

‘Shut up.’

‘No Shaw come on look we’re friends.’

‘We are not friends.’

‘We’re not?’

‘You shaved off my eyebrow.’

‘That was like…once.’ And it was funny, she thought.

‘And you eat all of my fucking food.’

‘You’re fine when Root does it!’

‘You’re not Root,’ she gritted out.

‘Okay but look when I’ve sobered up we can talk about this and I can stand on equal footing to you yeah? When I'm back to my badass self.’

‘Why the fuck do you think I’m doing this now?’

‘What?’

‘Shut up and start walking.’

‘Shaw…I really want to see Christmas.’

‘Then help me. Find. Root.’

Shaw reached out and grabbed Kara’s arm. She decided she preferred Carter’s grip as she swore she felt her bone crack. Shaw stalked off and Kara limply followed.

‘If I don’t see you have a nice winter break Shaw,’ called Carter, watching the two go off.

Shaw grunted.

Kara swallowed.

Kara Stanton did not fuck up, but she had definitely just fucked up. She really really fucked up. She hoped to god her sober self was ready for the fallout because she had royally fucked up.


End file.
